The inside scoop on food in Los Angeles

A new upscale vegan option: There's a new vegan menu at XIV restaurant, SBE's Michael Mina venue on Sunset Boulevard, in addition to the regular (for fish and meat eaters) and vegetarian menus. The concept is still design-your-own tasting menu, with everyone at the table having to agree on what to eat (all dishes are served for the entire table). But if you're a vegetarian or vegan, then you can do your own thing — well, unless you're all vegetarians or all vegans.... Maybe it's not as confusing as it sounds. Examples from the vegan menu: Thai coconut soup with butternut squash, garnet yam and kaffir lime; vegetables a la grecque; pine nut terrine; herb-roasted sasify with Medjool dates, thyme and English walnuts; and frozen rambutan with pine needle, Asian pear and Lillet caramel. 8117 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 656-1414, sbeent.com.

Hotel dining in Beverly Hills: The new Montage Beverly Hills luxury hotel opens today. The restaurant Parq, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the Conservatory Grill by the rooftop pool are also open. Muse, serving dinner only and featuring "exotic seafood and prime meats," opens its doors tomorrow. All three are led by executive chef John Cuevas, formerly chef de cuisine at the Loft at Montage Laguna Beach. 225 N. Canon, Beverly Hills, (888) 860-0788, montagebeverlyhills.com.

José Andrés' L.A. debut: The Bazaar by José Andrés at the SLS Hotel opens today; the restaurant is described as "a vibrant mix of sophisticated cuisine and playful lounge spaces" — cocktails such as margaritas with salt air at Bar Centro; tapas-style small plates (and the Jamon y Queso Bar) at Rojo y Blanco; and cakes, bonbons and confections from the Patisserie. 465 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 246-5555,slshotels.com.